Pongola Game Reserve Fishing Report

September 2011

General

Hi guys!

What a month, quiet a blur actually – but as far as I can remember most outings were successful, except were the elements were involved. I personally caught my competition winner on two occasions, firstly myself with the fly in the top lip and secondly a beauty of 5,5kg a couple of days before the competition. Sounds familiar as exactly the same happened last year.

We are still having a lot of wind and adverse weather changes which turns the fishing on and off in a day. We only had 20mm of rain for September so the water is still crystal clean, unless the strong winds turn up the mud banks.

Sardine has now been rated number one again by the tigers with rapalas not far behind and live bait coming in third on the menu. An assortment of other bait including chicken liver, hearts and fillet are also getting snacked on. We have had a lot of mixtures been tried this season, especially with competition on and I even saw guys using leeches!! Lucky tigers, sure with the amount of mixed grill around were going to be having overweight tigers soon.

Art lure is definitely picking up and the old Effzett spoons and spinners are working well. When the bait fishing side is quiet, resorting to trawling also induces a strike and in most cases a fish or two. Generally all types and colors are working been trawled from 1000rpm to almost 3000rpm, with the old adage of dark colors on dark days not working as well , but exactly the opposite.

Fly again has been really successful, though we are starting to fish more regularly with sinking lines as with the heat the fish are seeking deeper water to cool off in. The same methods and areas of fishing apply for the next couple of months though as mentioned we are working the deeper water after 8 in the morning. The fly patterns are pretty much the same with orange working probably the best so far this month. Geoff, croc researcher has tied up some nice patterns which we are selling at lodge. 2 over 5 kg were landed on fly this month.

The competition went off very well this month, with almost a 100 % catch & release policy. Four (4) weigh stations were positioned around the dam. Around 90 fish were weighed and released. There was a penalty of 500g for any fish that did not swim away, so guys were quick to up anchors and weigh and release. Unfortunately the biggest and winning fish (5,3kg’s) died so the official winning fish was 4,8kg’s caught again off the pump station, with only two (2) other fish coming out over 4 kg’s. The remainder of the fish between 4th and 20 th prize were over 3, 28 kg’s. Well done again to Sodwana Angling Club for well run competition, improving every year.

Looking at these results, it was a tough competition and on day two the competition was closed around 14H00 due to bad weather. Robin Vermaak (Nkwazi) took a position and one guest from Mvubu too. Otherwise all the previous years’ winners and top anglers did not feature this year. I fished with my sons and even though one or two nice ones were lost, we also struggled. By day two we were just fishing fly (wind howling), and caught many a fish with one of about 3, 5 kg coming loose in the Hydrilla. Besides from that, 1,8kg was our biggest. After much debate with staff and guests, we plan not to fish our hots spots but to look at where the tigers will seek cover when the 300 plus boats hit the dam. Ha ha.

In general quiet a couple of good fish came out this month, though not many over the 5kg mark. Many a bus was lost, but until it’s weighed …… part of tiger fishing. They average decent size seemed to be in the 3-4kg range, with many a 2-2,5kg coming out on both fly and bait. Trawling also produced some good fish.

The television programme 50/50 was aired this month highlighting the continuous problem with illegal gill netting. Hopefully something will come out of this.

The yearly water releasal which normally happens just after the competition is under debate. The locals on the Makhatini Flats now don’t seem to want a releasal at all, though Mozambique is still entitled to water. After two meetings, it looks like the releasal will only happen in the beginning of December, and if it does occur they want to let it drop by 12 % (equivalent to full releasal of Midmar). Possibly a good thing as hopefully the dam should be filling up by that time and will not have as much problems as last couple of years.

Please again watch out for stumps and mud banks all around the dam, specifically close to the train bridge and in front of Nkwazi. The water level is dropping due to evaporation so the old dangers are popping up again. I will send the skippers out to put buoys on those potential hazards. I have attached a map of the areas of fishing I always talk about to make finding these areas easier.

Finally would like to welcome Gerrit to Nkwazi and the fishing team. He has been a familiar face at Mvubu lodge and has now joined us at Nkwazi, and inspiring to be the new fly fisherman when he acquires a rod. Good luck Carrot. Another new face at Nkwazi is Jeff, who is busy with his masters on the crocodiles who are helping out from time to time.

Again –“Please release your tiger’s guys”

Basic list of what to bring follows:

Conventional

1. Any bass rod – 6 to 7 ft ideal, rigged with coffee grinder or centre pin reel.
2. Line strength – 8 -14 lb. Braid also good if have fished with it before.
3. Hooks – chemically sharpened from 2/0 – 5/0 ( Mustad, Bass hooks, circular – best quality )
4. Steel trace – made up traces (35 cm) or roll of Stealth wire which you can make up own.
5. Bogo grip – or good set of pliers to take hook out.
6. Floats – to suspend bait
7. Ghost cotton to secure your bait
8. Leader line – 40 cm of thicker line as shock tippet (fluorocarbon not a must).
9. Sardines or any bait mentioned above
10. Sun cream/hat.
11. Competency certificate/ skippers ticket any other paper work needed.

Fly fishing

1. Anything from 5 -9 wght rod.
2. Intermediate and sinking line.
3. Leader line – definitely 8kg plus (take off the old trout tapered leaders).
4. Flies – selection of Clouser minnows/zonkers/whistler patterns. Bring couple of trout flies too.
5. Steel trace – No 1 piano wire ideal.
6. Bogo grip – long nose pliers.
7. Gloves for stripping – unless you have some calloused hands.
8. Sunglasses and hat – safety issues.
9. Camera.

Tight Lines
Chris

P.S. If anyone has some photos of tigers caught here, please email Marietjie them at info@pongolagamereserve.co.za. . Oh, I am difficult to get hold of at times, so if you can’t, please try George for any info needed.

GPS Co ordinates:
Mvubu:     27 22’ 09.26” S by 31 50’ 42.16 E
Mpalane:   27 23’17.89” S by 31 53’ 20.21 E
Nkwazi:     27 22’ 46.58” S by 31 53’54.92 E